The three-member tribunal headed by Chairman Justice Anwarul Haque set the date on Tuesday after framing of the charges against Awami League leader Md Liakat Ali, former chairman of Lakhai Union Parishad under Habiganj, and Aminul Islam alias Rajab Ali from Kishoreganj on seven counts.
On December 4, the tribunal will hear the opening statement of the prosecution and record depositions of witnesses.
Liakat was an activist of Muslim League and Rajab a member of Jamaat’s Islami Chhatra Sangha during the Liberation War. Liakat served as the president of Lakhai Thana unit Awami League between 2003 and 2013.
The case was filed against the duo in 2010 for committing crimes against humanity including mass killings of Hindus, looting and arson in the bordering areas of Habiganj, Brahmanbaria and Kishoreganj districts.
Lawyers Rana Dasgupta and Rezia Sultana Cheman stood for the prosecution, while state-appointed counsel Gazi MH Tamim represented the duo.
The tribunal took the charges into cognisance on May 18 this year and issued arrest warrant against them. The tribunal’s investigation team submitted the probe report in December 2015.
The first charge was framed for carrying out mass killings and looting by the razakars along with the Pakistani occupational forces at Krishnapur village of Lakhai on September 18. A total of 43 people of the Hindu community including Radhika Mohan Roy and Shunil Sharma were shot dead on that day.
The second charge involve mass killings and looting at Chandipur village while the third for the same offence at Gadainagar village under Lakhai of Habiganj. The fourth charge was framed for mass killings at Sadanagar village under Astogram Upazila in Kishoreganj.
The duo were made accused of abducting Bachchu Mia and Rangu Mia, and killing them at Fandauk village under Nasirnagar Upazila in Brahmanbaria.
In the sixth count, they were charged for carrying out attack on Chowdhury Bari and committing murder at Sabianagar village of Astogram. The seventh was framed for committing murders at Sabianagar village.
According to the prosecution, Liakat was a student of Brahmanbaria College during the war and was assigned as the commander of Fandauk Union razakar force. He fled the country after the war and returned after many years. He later became the president of Lakhai Upazila unit Awami League. He fled the area as the investigation began.
On the other hand, Rajab was the president of Jamaat’s student unit Islami Chhatra Sangha’s Bhairab Hazi Hasmat Ali College unit in 1970. He took training at Bhairab Army camp and formed al-Badr force in the area.
Rajab was detained by the freedom fighters shortly after the independence and was sentenced to life-term imprisonment in a case filed under the Collaborators Act. But he was freed from jail after the law was scrapped.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
